Heavy selling of Chinese shares also soured confidence in the Asian market day, leading to an extension of losses in Japanese stocks.

The Nikkei share average ended 0.8 percent lower at 22,658.16.

The index has fallen more than 7 percent since its 27-year peak hit on Oct. 2, as concerns around rising debt yields and worries about the slowing Chinese economy gripped global equity markets.

On Wednesday, the Fed’s minutes for its September meeting showed all policy makers agreed to raise key interest rates for a third time in 2018 with many open to further hikes.

The Japanese market’s weakness was exacerbated by a sell-off in the China market, where the Shanghai Composite index touched its lowest in nearly four years hit by investor concerns about lean domestic growth with the country’s premier warning of increasing downward pressure.

“Investors are reminded about the reasons for last week’s selling and they’ve become guarded against those negative risks again,” said Shogo Maekawa, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management. “Caution against rising yields will likely cap the Japanese market’s upside for a while.”

Machinery makers were battered after economic data showed Japan’s exports unexpectedly fell in September from a year earlier, the first decline in 22 months.